By Brian Messina

My name is Brian Messina. I am a student from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, I am a proud American of Irish and Italian descent (an uncommon occurrence as I’m sure you’re aware).

Through my university, I was lucky enough to be selected to work as an intern in the GAA Communications office for the last two months.

And, if you’ll indulge me, I will hopefully share some of my insights into the GAA and Irish culture from an American experience while also utilising some of the more amusing highlights of my time in Ireland. Hopefully I’ll put forth something worth at least five minutes of your attention on this fine day.

I grew up proudly Irish Catholic with many of the stories and traditions that come along with that. I also had an ardent love of sports, something that has not changed to this day. Additionally, I spent several months working for Bleacher Report as they covered my University’s American football season - something that apparently made me qualified for this job.

Flash-forward to earlier this year, I am interviewing for the opportunity to work for the GAA with a solid knowledge of everything that a five-minute YouTube video could tell me about the GAA and the Gaelic games.

Admittedly, I was not very ready to take on a job at the GAA but, ultimately, this has made for some good stories along the way. And if there is one thing I know after this internship, it’s that Irish people love a good story.

Diving head first into the world of the GAA, I spent my first several days peppering my co-workers (bless their hearts) with the simplest questions of the GAA. How do the competitions work? What in the world is a black card? And who is Joe Canning and why do we have a big paper mache version of his head in our storage? You know, the normal things.

Being in the Communications office, I have been working with our social media a good amount. This has led to an interesting foray into Irish slang and (umm how shall I put this?) other colorful parts of the Irish language. Yep, that seems safe enough for the GAA website.

This is in addition to an introduction into Irish names - most of which I still butcher to this day. In one phone call, I was stuck for several minutes because I could not differentiate Pauric, Padraig, and Padraic. This prompted the man to ask, “Where are you from?” I responded with a usual “I’m from the States.” To which, I almost always get the quick “Well, I knew that...” response with a laugh. Yeah, I don’t blame you.

I had so much to learn about the new world that I was thrown into. Even though the language is the same, I still missed about every fifth word that was said to me. To this day, I am still trying to figure out who “your man” is and why he keeps coming up in every other conversation. All the while, I still fumble using the words “cheers,” “craic,” and “class” as though they might as well be foreign words to me.

Through all of this, I was trying to get a firm knowledge of the games. Even in my fifth week here, I barely even noticed when ‘King’ Henry Shefflin stepped into the office. I wondered why everyone else was sitting up a little straighter. After he departed, I had to be told that he would be the hurling equivalent of Tom Brady- the GOAT if you will - a helpful comparison for the clueless American.

I think my greatest conversion to Irish culture came in my foray into tea. After my co-workers were confused by my turning down tea for the first three days, it came out that I had never had a true cup of tea before. To them, this was a travesty. That day I had my first cup of tea, and I don’t know if I could make it through a workday without it anymore. I don’t know where I will be working after university, but wherever it is I will be bringing my toast and tea into work without a doubt.

All in all, I like to think I fit into the Irish workplace well. Being the youngest child by more than a few years I spent most of my time around adults. This left me with a penchant for sarcasm since the age of five and a quick wit that my mother always worried would get me into trouble. I also like to think I have a good sense of humor and ability to laugh at my own misfortune, a quality that made me feel at home with my Irish colleagues and something I’m sure they’ve appreciated my last few months here. They know way too much about me after only eight weeks, a badge of honor in my opinion.

Now, at this point you may be wondering what the purpose of this thinly veiled vanity project is, which is a good question admittedly. Ultimately I’m not sure if there is a singular unifying theme of my time with the GAA. Yet, I have nothing but great things to say about the GAA and Gaelic games.

I’ll start with the games themselves. They are phenomenal, an incredible combination of physical ability and technical skill. They have a scoring system that provides a game with plenty of action while ensuring that every score matters for the final outcome. The games are played at a blistering pace to keep your attention locked in from throw-in to the final whistle.

Many sports, though, are compelling, yet none carry the same weight as the GAA. During my time here, I have been fortunate enough to see matches in Parnell Park, Pearse Stadium, and Croke Park (where I was even able to introduce my family to the world of the GAA at the Leinster hurling final). And I always get excited during my travels whenever we pass by a community pitch. For me, the grassroots nature is the single most important characteristic of the GAA. The community pride and community support at every level is unmatched anywhere else.

As with many great things in this world, it truly does come down to the people. In my time at the GAA, I was surrounded by more caring, down-to-earth people than I could possibly thank in the short confines of this piece. I am eternally grateful for everyone in the Communications office, as well as the numerous other people who make the GAA such a special place.

I will never forget my time with the GAA. You have made a lifelong fan out of this American, and I am very grateful for that. As my time in Ireland draws to a close, all I can say is Go raibh maith agat!

And yes, of course I butchered the pronunciation.